After more than two years off from racing, I want 2018 to be the year of my return. In 2014 and 2015, the years that I really got in shape, I competed in my first triathlon and trained and ran in three half marathons and my first marathon. I loved how my body felt during that training. I loved the markers on the calendar, the races to look forward to, the goals and structure that they provided to my training. I ran a race with a good friend and shared training plans from afar. Last October, my dear friend and I messaged about wanting to finally run a marathon together. This year, that is our plan!!!
This morning, I woke up and brewed a pot of coffee and then curled up on the couch with a blanket, a dry erase board and marker, my laptop, and my phone. I consulted online race calendars and my own calendar and slowly plotted my race plan. I made some allowances and concessions. As much as I would love to travel to a new-to-me-city for a race, I need to take into account my budget and full-time work and 20-plus hours of massage therapy school each week which will take me at least through the end of July. I know enough about training plans and getting into triathlon and marathon shape to know that I don’t want to overdo it, that I want to allow myself plenty of time to train and not get injured. I also want my racing fees to support charitable organizations and causes that are important to me. I want to include a couple of triathlons. I want to try an ultramarathon, a distance that goes beyond the 26.2 miles of a marathon. I want to challenge myself, yet select only a few races to compete in. Most of all, I want to have fun, get fit, stay healthy, and run a couple of races with my dear friend.
Do you have challenges for yourself for 2018 that include passion and persistence? What would you like to do? What challenge would you like to try?
For me, racing isn’t about winning or placing, it’s about challenging myself and being in the community of runners. Here’s the list of races that I plan to run in, compete in, and complete! Cheers to new goals, new challenges, new adventures!
King of the Hill 5K, Los Lunas, NM, trail race, March 10
Run to Break the Silence 5K, road race, Albuquerque, NM, April 29
Climax Canyon 5K Trail Run, trail race, Raton, NM, May 5
Run for the Zoo 10K, road race, Albuquerque, NM, May 6
City of Lakes Triathlon, sprint distance, Santa Rosa, NM, June 9
Los Alamos Triathlon, sprint distance, Los Alamos, NM, July 28
La Luz Trail Run, 9 mile trail race, Albuquerque, NM, August 5
Sandia Crest Half Marathon, road race, Albuquerque, NM, September 15
Duke City Marathon, road race, Albuquerque, NM, October 21
Doggie Dash & Dawdle 5K, road race with dogs, Albuquerque, NM, November 4
Bosque Bigfoot Bigass 50K, trail race, Albuquerque, NM, November 24
Running Into Life 
I’m impressed, Kary! I’ve never been much of a runner myself. Happy New Year 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Jan! Happy New Year! Now the proof will be in the doing and the training!! 🙂
LikeLike
Kary
Distance running is addictive. When I commenced running forty-two years ago during my first year in the Air Force, the initial motivation was to lose weight. Since that time, I have run marathons, 10ks, and 5ks. But there has been stretches of time due to higher priorities that I had to place my running into abeyance. My present motivation is to run a 5k or 10k in 2018 and possibly run a half marathon toward the end of 2018. The mental discipline that inundates one’s training is enormous. The spillover effects of that discipline carry a high reward. I admire you for successfully completing a triathlon and now training for an ultramarathon. The apostle Paul employs the strict training(or self control)that goes into distance running as an analogy to receiving a spiritual crown(1Corintians 9:24-25). Additionally, the writer of the book of Hebrews(12:1) speaks of running a race with perseverance(or endurance). I wish you well in training for the upcoming races you selected and a good course time for each of them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good luck with your running, William! Thanks for reading and commenting!
LikeLike